OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8385, 13 October 1890, Page 6

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

San Francisco, September 20. OCEAN MAIL SUBSIDIES.

The 12th of September was the date act for the consideration of the Mail Subsidy and Ship Bounty Bills in the House of Representatives, but on that day no quorum could be obtained, nor has there since been one. The Hills consequently ore waiting until the Sergeant-at-Arras can hunt up the absentees. The measures will both pass.

On that clay before the adjournment, Chairman Bingham, of the Post Office Committee introduced a joint resolution to authorise the Postmaster-General to transport Australasian closed mails from San Francisco to New York for Great Britain at reduced rates, in order to secure the cooperation of the colonies in continuing after November next, the direct mail service between San Francisco and Auckland and Sydney, now subsidised by New Zealand and New South Wales,, This will go through as soon as a quorum can be secured, as will also the Subsidy Bill. The resolution was offered after continued exertions on the part of R. J. Creighton, the agent of the New Zealand Government, and it means a saving of betveen SO.OOO and 100,000 dollars in the cost of transportation. This has hitherto been borne by the English Government, but they used to meet it any longer. It is the general impression in San Francisco that the recent action of the New Zealand Legislature in renewing the subsidy of the Oceanic Steamship Company is conditional upon the United Suites meeting New Zealand half-way, and giving free transportation to closed mails across the Continent. The efforts of the Oceanic Company to secure cooperation on the part of this Government are being re-doubled, and it will be no fault of theirs if they cannot convince Congress of the justice of doing the fair thing by the colonies.

Chairman Bingham, of the House Post Office Committee, has completed his report on the Ocean Subsidy Bill. It is an exhaustive document, tracing the decline of American shipping, and will do much to bring about a proper understanding of the question by the delegates from the interior of the country, many of whom live 1000 miles from the sea"board.

IRRIGATION AND FRUIT. Among the passengers on the Alameda is Mr. John West, of Melbourne, who for several months past has been investigating the subject of irrigation in California, and in a less thorough manner the best modes of marketing fruit. His report to the Victorian Government will be tiled shortly after his return to Melbourne, aud judging by the thorough study he has been enraged in during the post few months, the document should be a most invaluable one.

Just before his departure Mr. West was kind enough to give your correspondent an idea of the extent of his work, lie has visited every section of California where irrigation is in vogue and has carefully studied every system. The most remarkable irrigation works he considers those of Messrs. thiggan and Carr, in Karu County, which provide for watering several hundered thousand acres. The artesian water belt was visited, ami in a general way it may be said that Mr. West's report will contain discussions on water storage, the construction of canals and ditches, the application of the water to the soil, and the mode of handling artesian wells. There will also be a special section devoted to the boring of tiiese wells, and something übout the proposed irrigation of the arid lands of the Rocky Mountain region and the Great Basin, embracing in all an area of over 1.000.00U square miles. Regarding the packing and marketing of fruit Mr. West says that California is as far ahead of the Eastern States as the Eastern States arc ahead of the colonies. He will recommend the immediate pdoption of the California system by the colonial fruit-hand-lers, as a measure of economy aud convenience.

COMM ERCIAL CON VENTION. The Pacific Coast Board of Commerce, composed of delegates from all the chambers of commerce and boards of trade from Pugut .Sound to San Diego, convened in San Francisco on the 17th and meetings were held on that day and on 18th and I'Jth. A large number of addresses were made, sonic on topics connected with this ■ ; alone, others (hi national questions, and one or two were of the utmost interest to the colonies. Captain .!. F. Chapman, one of the old-time American shipowners, spoke in favour of mail subsidies, and appropriate resolutions were addressed to Congress. A resolution was also directed to the liitor-State-Commerce Commission requesting that that clause in the Inter-State Commerce Law (knowu as tiie long and sh'ort haul clause! which forbids ruilro&ds to charge a less rate for a long haul than for a short haul, be repealed in the case of goods coming from trans-Pacific ports. This, if adopted, will enable the wool and Hax shippers of New Zealand, and the tea shippers of China, and Japan, to get as low rates as they can by the Suez Canal lines. Reciprocity with the Latiu-Americau Republics was the subject of an address by Hun. M. M. Estee, delegate to the Pan-American Congress. Mr. Hugh Craig, San Francisco manager of the New Zealand Insurance Company, read a paper on the trans-Pacific Cable. .Mr Craig's address was in the form of a committee report, and is to be printed in full in the Board s report. A resolution setting forth the necessity of cable communication between the Pacific Coast, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia, was adopted, and a further resolution was telegraphed to Congress asking for an appropriation of 100,000 dollars for the purpose ot eqaipping a suitable vessel to proceed with the surveys anil soundings.

RECIPROCITY IN AMERICA. Elaine has succeeded in having Ids views on reciprocity with the Latin American Republics incorporated in the Tariff Ball as passed by the Senate, and the Conference Committee of the House and Senate has agreed to them in the discussion of the Bill. Material reductions are made in the tariff on sugar, but a small duty is placed on hides, cotfee, and tea. These charges are to go into effect on the Ist of October, and the President is authorised to remit the duties on these goods coming from those foreign countries which will conclude reciprocal treaties. li, <m the Ist July, IS9I, and sugar-producing countries to the south of the United States shall not have concluded such reciprocal treaties, the old duty now in force .shall be levied. Blaine'a position is practically this : He opens free trade with such Latin Republics as desire it, and he prevents uny imposition of export duties in those countries, such as Brazil levied some years ago when coffee was made free by the United States. The reciprocity idea lias found great favour all over the country, and its success is assured beyond perauventure. That it will be greatly extended admits of no question, and there is scarcely a doubt that if the colonies had had a duly accredited agent or representative in Washington, their claims would have been considered and recognised by Blaine, who has repeatedly placed himself on record in favour of fostering in all manner the colonial trade.

GENERAL NOTES. The exports of merchandise from San Francisco during August were valued as fol-lows---Australia, 90,800 dollars; New Zealand, II.JJOO dollars ; Hawaii, 325,000d011ars ; Samoa, 12.600 dollars; Marquesas, 2500 dollars; Tahiti, 28,800 dollars; Marshall Islands, 400 dollars ; East Indies, 1000 dollars; Philippine Islands, U6OO dollars. The imports were valued as follows :—Australia and New Zealand, 130,349 dollars ; Hawaii, 784,959 dollars; Philippine Islands, 58,067 dollars; British East Indies. 20,414 dollars; Tahiti, 19,077 dollars. Henry George has arrived at New York from liis tour around the world. Delegates from the Single Tax Clubs met him on his arrival. He said that even in the pronounced protection strongholds in Australia his views on free trade were heard and discussed, and that the single tax issue has already entered politics. Sir Henry Parkes advocating it. There has recently been a financial stringency in the money market in New York, and the Government has relieved the situation by buying up over 65.000,1100 dollars of its bonds at a handsome premium. The success of the Australian system of voting at the county elections in 'I ennessee will have great influence in the neighbouring Status of Mississippi and Kentucky, which are soon to bold constitutional conventions. In both States it has been proposed to include the Australian system in the constitution to be adopted. Kentucky is already favourably inclined to the system, which has been in operation in Louisville for the past two years, and has worked to the entire satisfaction of every body, as it has, wherever tried. The Australian system will assuredly bo adopted by the California Legislature this winter.